Museum of the American Cocktail shows off local bartenders

How good are New Orleans bartenders? Find out for yourself at the Museum of the American Cocktail's "State of the Art" happy hour on Monday, July 23, from 5:30–8 p.m. For the fourth year in a row, the museum will gather together many of the city's best bartenders, such as Rhiannon Enlil of Cure, Abigail Gullo of SoBou and Tiffany Soles of Irvin Mayfield's Jazz Playhouse.

TP photo archiveRhiannon Enlil of Cure is one of the bartenders featured at MoTAC's "State of Art."

"Our drinks have gotten better," said Laura McMillian, managing director of the museum. "They've been getting more complex while at the same time having fewer ingredients."

The "State of the Art" is schedule a day before Tales of the Cocktail begins, so that early arrivals to the drinks conference can get the lay of the local imbibing landscape. On Thursday, as part of Tales of the Cocktail, the Museum of the American Cocktail teams up with Benedictine and chef Richard Blais for a night of "Enchanting Edibles and Elixirs." Atlanta-based Blais, a runner-up on Bravo's "Top Chef," is known for cutting-edge cuisine. Providing the drinks that evening are Chris McMillian, Martin Duffy, Phil Greene and Ludovic Miazga.

Tickets to "State of the Art" are $35 in advance and $40 at the door. The Thursday night dinner is$100, which must be paid in advance. Tickets to both events can be purchased at www.museumoftheamericancocktail.org.

The Museum of the American Cocktail is located inside the Riverwalk Marketplace at 500 Port of Orleans Pl.